The aim of the Good Shepherd Ireland Microfinance Programme is, along with our partners, to help clients to realise their own economic well-being through appropriate financial services. As a result, people feel valued, accepted, included, and in control of their own finances.
The purpose of the programme is to enable economic well-being and resilience for people on low incomes and those financially excluded, especially women and girls. For many people on low incomes, paying for essential goods and services is a struggle, and the effects of going without can be huge.
The No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) offers safe, fair and affordable loans for household items, education and housing rental deposits. Loans up to €750 are available from three community organisations at two locations in the Republic of Ireland.
NILS provides a safe and affordable alternative to high-cost options such as payday loans or money lenders, which promise ‘fast cash’ but often compound a person’s financial situation.
NILS is a leading example of circular community credit. When a borrower makes a repayment, those funds then become available to someone else in the community. Clients recognise that repaying their loan means someone else is given the same opportunity that they were given.
